Title: Co-Founder and Executive Director
Company: Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance
Location: Saranac Lake, New York, United States
Kelly Leigh Metzgar, co-founder and executive director at Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in non-profits and information technology.
With nearly three and a half decades of experience to her credit, Ms. Metzgar has excelled in the non-profit industry and information technology. She currently excels as the executive director of the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance, a role she has held since 2016. In this capacity, she has been instrumental in organizing a wide range of events throughout the year to promote inclusivity and awareness. The organization, which has seven board members and numerous volunteers, hosts affirmative reading sessions at their local library in March. For Transgender Day of Visibility, they arrange both in-person and virtual programs. Additionally, they celebrate three pride events annually: Small Town Pride in Malone in June, Tri Lake’s Pride in Saranac Lake on the last Sunday of June, and Adirondack North Country Pride in September.
Ms. Metzgar also runs their activities that include commemorating Transgender Day of Remembrance, both in-person and virtually, and participating in various regional events. Dedicated to supporting LGBTQ youth, the organization holds regular group meetings at the Saranac Lake Youth Center and provides peer support sessions for adults. Furthermore, they offer comprehensive training programs related to LGBTQ rights and workplace inclusivity. Her roles in the Gender Alliance include being a co-founder, executive director, founder, and lead trainer focusing on advocacy and education.
Ms. Metzgar’s other roles have included national account manager at the American Management Association from 2020 to 2021, account manager for public programs at the Canadian Management Centre from 2018 to 2020, and information technology specialist at St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment Recovery Center from 1999 to 2016. Additionally, she served as an IT specialist at North Star Behavioral Health Services from 1997 to 2004 and as director of administrative computing at North Country Community College from 1983 to 1997. Her accomplishments also include founding Lichtenwalter Furniture Refinishing, which she has led for 35 years, and serving as webmistress for The Vanity Club from 2006 to 2016.
Giving back to her community, Ms. Metzgar has been a founding member of the North Country Hate and Bias Prevention Northern Council with the NYS Division of Human Rights since 2022 and a founding member, core team member, and board member of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative since 2013. She has also been a transgender rights advocate, speaker, presenter, and trainer since 2013 and served as a co-founding board member and treasurer for Gender Equality New York from 2018 to 2022. She holds several memberships, including being the executive director of the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance since 2016 and an executive coordinating committee member of the NYS Transgender Rights Coalition from 2013 to 2015. Laying a foundation for her success, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Gannon University in 1981 and an Associate of Arts and Science in data processing from Jamestown Community College in 1983.
In light of her impressive undertakings, Ms. Metzgar has received several notable awards, including the Trailblazer Award from the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce in 2024, the Rose Award from the Zonta Club of the Adirondacks in 2023, and was appointed North Country Ambassador for World Pride by Governor Cuomo in 2019. Additionally, she has been honored with the Leadership and Innovation Award and a Recognition Award from Gender Equality New York.
Ms. Metzgar takes pride in having initiated Pride celebrations in Plattsburgh, an area that had none about 10 years ago, and now, there are three Pride events annually. Additionally, her organization manages Transgender Day of Visibility programs and Transgender Day of Remembrance programs. In the coming years, she is focused on establishing a pride center in Plattsburgh, New York, which has the largest population in the area and is an ideal location for such a center. This initiative aims to embrace diversity in the Adirondacks and the North Country, not only in terms of LGBTQ acceptance but also promoting racial, ethnic, and religious acceptance and women’s rights.
For more information, please visit:
Facebook – Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance
Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance
Contact
